Holy Cross’ Bilingual Theatre Production Engages Campus in National Conversation

For Edward Isser, professor of theatre at the College of the Holy Cross, the choice of what show to produce this semester carried more weight than usual. On account of the current sociopolitical climate in the United States, Isser viewed the fall theatre production as a medium through which to engage the Holy Cross community in a national conversation.

“I felt (and continue to feel) that I have an obligation to respond to our contemporary situation as both a teacher and as an artist,” Isser shared. “I was blown away watching the women’s march on television and sat glued to the seat, thinking about my obligations and capacities (particularly as a man) to productively contribute to the movement.”

“Fuente Ovejuna,” a classic work of the Spanish Golden Age dating back to 1614, aptly met his requirements. The play tells a tale of oppression, resistance, and retribution in a small Spanish village terrorized by a dictatorial oppressor.